He Wrote 40 000 Won but Sent 1 Won: The Clever 1 Won Hotel Scam Unveiled

A Twist in the Remittance Game

Can you imagine renting a hotel room 132 times without paying the full rate? Between late November 2023 and early April 2024 a 26 year old man quietly stayed at one Seoul hotel using a one-won transfer trick instead of the 40 000 won room fee, leaving nearly 8.9 million won unpaid and shocking legal experts when the case landed in court late July 2025

Mastering the Name Field Trick

The scam hinged on entering 40 000 won in the sender name field while actually sending a single coin, then claiming that lone won stood for the letter I from his IT company job Can you believe that he used the same tactic to trick staff into refunding over 5 million won by alleging an overpayment Judges saw through the ruse and handed down a one-year prison sentence

Hotel Owners Sound the Alarm

Korean hotel and pension owners have shared horror stories on Naver and Tistory blogs warning peers to inspect mobile banking records closely Several blog posts describe how hosts were fooled by the display of a large number while the actual deposit went unnoticed Many now demand confirmation screenshots before issuing refunds

Lessons for Travelers and Hosts

This saga reminds everyone that small technical loopholes can cause major losses In Korea the ease of app-based transfers and cultural confidence in digital payments can be exploited by creative fraudsters Hosts and guests alike are urged to verify both the displayed amount and the actual deposit in their banking apps before confirming a reservation Have you double-checked your bank app today